And now… how to build an earthen floor:
When I began building, I decided to leave the topsoil in my house instead of hauling it out. I guess mostly to avoid the extra labor, really.
Over the months, it has become quite tamped and solid from continually walking on it. I decided to leave it as is, with the original slope of the land, supposing that any moisture that does happen to get in there (which it shouldn’t) will run out towards the drainage trench.
I will be headed out of Dancing Rabbit in three short weeks to go back to New Jersey for the holidays. Within the past couple of weeks, I have accepted the fact that I will not absolutely “finish” the house before that time. By “finish”, I mean complete the roof, finish the floor, make my rocket stove and cob bed and bench, and plaster the interior.
So. I’ve done some prioritizing. Now that the cob walls are complete, and the windows and door are in, the house is sealed. My biggest remaining priority is the roof – I need to construct an edge board around the roof, create a soil-retaining system, and have soil moved to my site and load it onto the roof. Oh, and seed the soil, too. That’s not a small load of work by any means!
Here are some photos from the past couple of weeks:
Finishing the cob walls – it was very tight having to work so closely to the roof.
Installing windows – all of the windows I purchased were some kind of replacement windows – they all had a vinyl exterior trim which we screwed into the window frames.
The past week or so has been quite eventful. There’s been mostly positive progress, but some negative, too.
With Karen’s and my dad’s help, I completed cobbing. The walls are finally done! In just a few days, the gap between the walls and the roof was closed. It was very satisfying to see the final line of the wall meet the decking of the roof. It was awkward work having to stuff the small spaces, but it wasn’t too bad…
Before the EPDM went on the roof, I wanted to add a cushion of cardboard on top of the rafters and decking to protect the membrane. And before the cardboard went on, I wanted to add some kind of fabric so that the cardboard would not be visible from inside of the space. I bought a 50 yard bolt of muslin for $50 at Zimmerman’s, and Karen (my current work exchanger) and I draped the fabric and stapled it to the decking.
A few nights ago, a flash of brilliance struck during a conversation after dinner about making a frame for a future skylight in my reciprocal roof. We were sitting around, thinking of alternatives to making a wood frame, which would have proved quite difficult considering the irregular nature (14 uneven round poles) of the top of the roof.
And then someone mentioned a tire. And then I remembered the huge tractor tires we have lying around on the property, and amazingly enough, the dimensions were nearly perfect: a five foot diameter tire with a three foot diameter hole, perfect for the 4.5 foot diameter rafter ring, and 3.5 foot diameter hole in the roof.
I finished decking my reciprocal roof yesterday. I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out. It got a little funky trying to nail dimensional lumber up and around some of the knots of wood on the rafters, but overall, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it might be. It was more time-consuming than anything.
Next up: making a frame for the skylight in the middle of the roof. This will be interesting…
Well, the roof decking continues. I’ll probably finish it in another day or two. The shadows have really been great lately with all of the rafters and decking casting shapes all over the walls:
Last week, I began the somewhat tedious process of decking my roof with the help of Jeff, my most recent work exchanger. It’s pretty slow work, having to mark and cut and then nail every individual piece of board, of which there are over 200 now on the roof.
I am using scrap 1x black walnut lumber that I purchased from a local lumber ‘dealer’. (Perhaps a very apt title for this particular fellow…) It cost me $1 per board, and most of if was defective (for cabinet-making purposes) in some way, but with its length still largely usable. (Each piece of wood is at least six to eight feet long, I’d estimate.)
The roof line has taken shape now that the decking is getting nailed to the rafters. The roof is somewhat wavy and undulating, and I must say that I like it’s uneven, flow-y appearance.
Last week, I ordered the most expensive material for my entire cob house: the EPDM pond liner for my (soon-coming) living roof. EPDM is a synthetic, petroleum-based rubber product commonly used for living roofs, due to its strength and durability. Apparently, it can last 50 years exposed to the sun, and presumably longer buried under dirt.
I have not been thrilled by the prospect of purchasing this petro product for my house (it’s one of the few new, synthetic materials in the whole building); however, it has been challenging to find information on building a living roof using natural materials. Apparently, Norwegians have historically used birch bark as their impermeable membrane. Getting more information than just that has proved difficult, and still, I probably wouldn’t have been willing to experiment with my first house, considering just how important a good roof is. I want to do this right. Perhaps I’ll experiment with an all-natural living roof on a different building in the future. (If anyone out there has details on any books, etc. with information on traditional living roofs, let me know!)
Anyway, the 35’x35′ sheet of EPDM cost a whopping $622, at least $100 of which was the shipping cost. The thing weighs 380 pounds. I’m pretty daunted by the idea of somehow getting this whole thing unrolled over the roof… but I’m sure with enough hands, it won’t be so bad!
Hi there, I’m Ziggy. In 2008, I launched The Year of Mud while building my first natural home. This blog is a collection of personal stories and experiences building with clay, straw, and wood over the past 15+ years. A few of the things that get me fired up are natural plasters, timber framing, & Japanese architecture. Since 2012, we’ve been hosting Natural Building Workshops so you can learn essential skills to build your own natural home.
